Sunday, August 23, 2009

Fred Astaire equals Joy

Fred Astaire stole my heart when I was seven. My grandmother bribed me with a large bag of M&Ms to accompany her to a double feature of "Top Hat" and "Shall We Dance." I could not believe it was possible for two people to move so effortlessly and with so much joy. I watched goggle-eyed, my head flooding with questions. How did they do all that without missing a beat? How did Fred avoid tripping on Ginger's gown? How did she leap and twirl in those heels without twisting her ankle? Why didn't men dress that way anymore? How many years of ballet lessons - which I loathed - would it take for me to be able to dance that way? Listening to Lola sigh through all the dance sequences, I worried she was going to fall into a swoon and embarrass me. She needed a large Manhattan to revive her after the film and let me have a sip of her drink on the condition that I not tell my grandfather or my mother. That was the beginning of my love affair with Manhattans too.

Who can watch this video and not be gladdened by it? Not me. Do turn up the volume and view it full screen. The Vienna-based duo dZihan & Kamien's downtempo beat on "Stiff Jazz" from their album "Gran Riserva" provides the perfect backdrop to Fred Astaire and Ginger Roger's dazzling footwork. However, I think that it might be Astaire's sister Adele with him in some of the dance sequences, although I could be wrong.

No matter, it's all very uplifting. Especially on days when Facebook is littered with the irritating flotsam of Mafia Wars scores and quiz results of addle-pated friends in their 40s or older who are hell-bent on informing me that they have nothing better to do with their lives apart from using sundry Facebook applications as a monumental time-suck. Friend's sample quiz: What Chocolate Are You? Result: Mars bar. Me: Mars bars are NOT chocolate, you pathetic, muttonheaded galoot.

All right, I'll stop grumping about Facebook lameness now and look at this again. Ah, if only I had the fixings for a Manhattan.

My thanks to the clever person who put these film clips and this music together, and to my lovely friend Mnemosyne who patiently explained how I could embed this video onto my blog.

Thanks for bringing Fred back into my conscience - I had forgotten about him! Can you believe that? He really is poetry in motion. Love it. Strangely enough, it was my dad who introduced me to him and the day you posted that video, August 23, is the anniversary of his death 12 years ago. It seems strangely apt, bearing in mind I had just read 'A Flower Falls.' Is it appropriate to say thank you for these two posts?

It's always chocolate o'clock here.

About Me

Originally from the Philippines, I came to Belgium via Dubai at the end of winter 1987 with a suitcase full of summer dresses, a fancy stereo and hundreds of music tapes. It was only for a 3 week project, and I'm still here. I share a crumbling country farmhouse with Skunk, my blues harmonica-playing partner, Noodle, our Lego-mad 11 year old son, and Legs, our 14 year old daughter who loves vampires and wants to swim in the Olympics. We love our Couch Potato-in-Chief, a rescued pit bull mix named Mia, also known as the Cheese Whore. I abandoned an occasionally glamorous, mostly stressful corporate job for the questionable delights of breast-feeding, potty-training and raising two beautiful, smart and occasionally exasperating children. I'm a pretty good cook. I drink my whisky neat and I listen to good music far too loud - it's the only way. I read too many books at the same time. My love for the garden is tempered by an aversion to slugs. I'm more at home with the rogues on Twitter than the saints on Facebook. If my swearing bothers you, read someone else's blog. I enjoy readers' comments, so please don't be shy. I don't bite.